Improvement in fluid-meters



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. C. SERGEANT.

Liquid-Meter. No 103,509.' Patented May 24, 1870.

Zik misms'.

NJETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHIQGYON. D C.

NITED STATES-7 PATENT ()FFICE.

HENRY C. SERGEANT, OF NE\VARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO JOSE FRAN- CISCODE NAVARRO,

OF NEW 'YORK CITY.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLUID METERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 103,509, dated May 24,1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. SERGEANT, of Newark, in the county of Essexand State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement inFluid-Meters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents a top viewor plan of my improved meter,- Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal sectiontaken as indicated by the line at x in Fig. 1,- Fig. 3, an under view ofone of the pistons that also operate as valves. Fig.

4 is an under view of the meter, with its bottom and end covers removed;Fig. 5, an inside face View of the bottom cover; Fig. 6, a centralvertical section through the meter; Fig. 7, a longitudinal view of thebar by which motion is communicated to the indicator, and which servesto keep the pistons in position; and Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11, views ofdetails connected with said bar.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In my improved meter, which, while applicable to measuring variousfluids, it will suffice here to describe as a water-meter, twoindependent pistons are used, and the same arranged to reciprocate inhorizontal cylinders or measuring-chambers, preferably placed side byside. These pistons, in addition to their function as moving diaphraginsto make their cylinders measuring-chambers, also operate as valves, theone to the other, respectively, and so that they serve to control,without the aid of additional valves or gear to make them operate inunison, the ingress and egress of water to or from each other atopposite ends alternately. Said pistons are of elongated form and madehollow with closedv ends, and the water, at its full pressure, is passedinto the meter through said pistons, so as to fill them and keep themconstantly supplied or filled with'water. Thus the interiors of thepistons are made receivers, instead of the measuring chambers, as wherethe supplyis admitted di rect to the latter, for any sand or sedimentwhich may be in the water. These pistons are provided at their bottomswith opposite end passages and with a central or intermediateexhaust-cavity for operation in connection with fixed passages and portsmade in the bottom of the meter and in a cover to said bottom; also,with upper inlet and lower outletv branches or pipes, whereby not onlyis the necessary reciprocating and automatic action secured to thepistons, but all the water is received above and passes out from below,and all lodgment of grit or sediment within the cylinders to cut themand the pistons is prevented; likewise an upward pressure thrown uponthepistons to assist in balancing them, and which may be perfectly securedor more closely reached by apertures made in the top portions of theperipheries of the pistons and working under cover of the cylinders. Themotion of the indicator or registering mechanisms as derived from thepistons, or one of them, is obtained by a bar or lever arranged to passthrough side passages in the pistons, by which the water is supplied totheir interior, whereby not only is said lever made to operate a spindle or arbor by which motion is communicated to the registeringmechanism, but it also serves to keep the pistons in position or fromturning out of line with the fixed ports or pas sages.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent two horizontal cylindersarranged side side and provided with end covers, B B. The extreme endsof these cylinders are enlarged, as at a a, to establish clearance fromthe cylinders of any sand or sediment that may temporarily find its waythereto. Said cylinders are made to communicate at or near their centersby an opening, 6, and are supplied with water through the pistons, ashereinafter described, by an upper inlet pipe or branch, 0, and thedischarge established through a bottom or lower branch, D. The cylinderA has an elongated side passage, 0, in communication with the inletbranch. 0, and both cylinders A A are provided at their bottoms withopposite end passages, d d (1 (Z and intermediate ports orpassages, e ff ef f The end passages (2 (1 of the one cylinder, A, connect by obliquepassages g made in the bottom of the meter, with the intermediate ports,f f of the cylinder A. The central intermediate ports, 6 e, of the twocylinders are in communication with a general passage, h, in

said bottom, which passage is in direct con nection with the exhaustbranch D. The end passages d (1 of the cylinder A connect, respectively,with cavities or passages 13 i, and the ports ff of the cylinder A withcavities or passages j j in the bottom of the meter. These cavities orpassagesi z" and j j are connected by cross-passages 7c 7r, made in acover, E, to said meter-bottom, the one cross-passage, 7c, connectingthe cavity t with the cavity j, and the other cross-passage, 7c, thecavities 7; and j.

The pistons F F, which work within the cylinders AA, are of elongatedform and made hollow, with elongated side openings, Z, in them. Theseopeningsl are of such length and so arranged that during the entirereciprocating action of the pistons communication is kept open throughsaid openings land passages and 0 between the interior of the pistonsand the inlet 0. Furthermore, said pistons are each provided at theirbottoms with opposite end openings, on m, and a central, D, or valvularcavity 02, also with upper apertures, r 0*,which work continually undercover of the cylinders. By this construction and arrangement of theparts, ports, passages, and cavities a continuous reciprocating actionof the pistons is kept up on letting on water by the inlet 0 and openingthe outlet D, or pipe connected therewith, the pistons acting as valvesthe one to the other. Thus, supposing both pistons to be at the end oftheir one or right-hand stroke, as represented in Figs. 2 and 4, thenwater from the interior of the pistons, as supplied by the inlet 0through the openings 0, b, and Z, will pass through the end passage, m,of the piston F and port f into the cavity j, and from thence by thecrosspassage 70 to the cavity '5, from whence it passes by the end port,(1 to act upon the back of the piston F to move it to the left, theopposite end of its cylinder A being at the same time open by the endpassage (1, cavity 1', cross-passage k, cavity j, and port f to theexhaust-cavity n of the other piston, F, from whence it passes by theone intermediate port, 6, into the general exhaustpassage h, which is incommunication with the outlet D. In this way the piston F will be drivenby the pressure of the incoming water to the left or opposite end of itscylinder, and as it reaches or approaches the end of such stroke thepiston F will open the port F for inlet-water from it to enter theoblique passage 9, and from thence by the passage cl, cause it to actupon the back of the piston F to drive it also to the right, the passage(1 at the same time being open through the oblique passage 9, port f andexhaust-cavity c of the piston F to the exhaust-passage h to free thepiston F of water in front of it. As the pistonF completes the end ofits stroke to the left,its end passage, m, establishes opening with theport f, and cavity j, and through the crosspassage k with the port (1,to admit inlet-water to the opposite end of the piston F to drive it tothe right, the water exhausting from the other end of said piston Fthrough the port (1 cavity i, crosspassage k, cavity 7", port f, andexhaust-cavity e to the exhaust outlet h. In this way are theindependent pistons made to act as valves to control each other,.and asuc cession of reciprocating movements of the two pistons kept up insuch manner that there is a continuous or uninterrupted discharge. Thepistons act as receivers for the water under pressure before it passesto the ylinders. Consequently any grit or sediment will be receivedwithin said cylinders; and by the arrangement of the inlet 0 above andoutlet D below, and various passages or ports in the bottoms of thepistons and lower portions of the meter, all the water is introducedabove and discharged below, thus leaving no chance for sand or sedimentto remain; and should any get into the cylinders, the opportunity forwhich is very limited, it will be promptly pushed out by the pistonsinto the enlarged spaces a a at the ends of the cylinders, and

from thence pass off to the exhaust with no' possibility of returning;hence there is no danger of the pistons or cylinders cutting. Theseveral passages in the bottoms of the hollow pistons, which are exposedto an internal pressure of water, as described, assist in balancing thepiston as against their weight and the downward flow of the current,while the apertures 1'1" in the tops of the pistons act in acompensating manner to establish a more perfect balance or prevent toomuch lift of the pistons without crippling the size of the bottompiston-passages, on m. p

011 the head of the pistons are rubber buffers s s, to soften concussionin case of the pistons,when working fast and under a heavy pressure,striking the end covers of the cylinders.

Motion to work the indicator is taken from the one piston, F, by a baror lever, G, connected to a vertical spindle or arbor, H, that isprovided with an upper packing, u, and, working through a nut, '12,carries an arm, w, by which motion may be communicated to any suitableregistering mechanism. This lever G is in slotted gear with adriving-pin, 1 in the piston F, and is arranged to extend throughcertain of the side slots, 1, in the pis tons and intermediatepassage,b, by which arrangement said lever not only serves to operatethe indicator, but also to keep the pistons in straight position, or sothat they will not turn to throw their passages out of line with thosein the cylinder.

What is here claimed, and:desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. The induction-passages Z Z, arranged on opposite sides of the hollowpistons F, in combination with the ports m, m, and n, arranged on theirunder side, substantially as specified.

2. The passages m an, arranged in the bottoms of the hollow pistons, incombination with balancing-apertures r in their upper I ings to thelatter in communication with the sides, essentially as shown anddescribed. supply pipe or branch, substantially as speci- 3. Thearrangement of the exhaust-cavities fied. n, and the end passages, on m,in the bottoms 5. The bar G, arranged to pass through the of the hollowpistons, essentially as herein inlet-openings Z, in the hollow pistons,for the set forth. I double purpose of working the indicator and 4. Thearrangement of the ports d d d d e of keeping the pistons in position,substane and fff f with the fixed cavities and tially as specified.passages in the bottom of the meter, and its cover with which said portscommunicate, exhaust-cavities n, and passages m m in the bottoms of thehollow pistons, and inlet-open- H. O. SERGEANT. \Vitnesses:

J. WV. CooMBs, FRED. HAYNES.

